


In Service to the King

by JDKoopa



Category: Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Genre: Goodbyes, Memories, Promises, War, subtle lambrigue
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-22
Updated: 2020-03-22
Packaged: 2021-02-28 23:13:23
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 811
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23255254
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/JDKoopa/pseuds/JDKoopa
Summary: In the midst of battle, Rodrigue remembers the past battles he has fought at Lambert's side
Comments: 4
Kudos: 7
Collections: Rodrigue Week 2020





	In Service to the King

**Author's Note:**

> Written for Rodrigue Weekend Day 2!
> 
> Literally didn't decide to do this until I got home from work and was like "huh. there's an idea."

As the battle raged around him, Rodrigue felt as if time slowed. He supported his allies, healing the wounded who had to fall back from the front lines and striking down any foes foolish enough to approach. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

_Rodrigue was standing by Lambert’s side, as he had so many times before. The only difference between this mock battle and the others was the illustrious title, the Battle of the Eagle and Lion. While the Prince clashed blades with the students in their rival houses, Rodrigue was tasked with making sure he didn't fall in battle._

_The other members of the Blue lion house were struggling against their opponents, but when Rodrigue looked to Lambert, he smiled. The prince was laughing while he fought. The laugh was not one of malice, but of joy. Lambert truly enjoyed battling against the others and testing his strength. At times Rodrigue almost found the Prince's mirth distracting._

_Together, the two rallied their classmates. With a battle cry, Lambert led their class to victory. After the last enemy surrendered, Rodrigue stared at the Prince's face, so full of joy and pride. Lambert clasped Rodrigue's hand, sending jolts of electricity up his arm. Together, they raised their arms in triumph to the cheers of their classmates._

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The battle was drawing to a close, but Rodrigue needed to find the King. That blonde fool was in serious danger, and it was his duty to protect him.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

_Rodrigue was on the verge of panic. The invasion was already under way, and somehow, in the heat of battle, Lambert had run ahead of him. How had he lost the King at such an important time?_

_After a few minutes of searching, fending off multiple attacks, Rodrigue finally found the King. He was staring down twenty men on his own, but he was slowly being overwhelmed. Rodrigue abandoned all caution, charging to his King's aid._

_They fought together in a way that would have been impossible for anyone who did not have the bond they shared. They quickly defeated the enemies in front of them, then charged forward, challenging anyone to stop them. Rodrigue defended the King, putting all of his power into being Lambert's impenetrable shield while he struck down countless enemies._

_After the fighting, the soldiers began to call him just that. The Shield of Faerghus._

_Lambert hugged Rodrigue, so tightly his ribs threatened to break. Rodrigue's heart was beating almost as fast as it had during the battle. Then, the king grabbed his hand, just like he had at the Academy. They raised their hands and the soldiers cheered._

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Ah, there was the King. Now, all that was left was to convince him to retreat. But who was that woman behind him?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

_Rodrigue looked at the bloodied face of his King as…_ wait. This was still the present, but the scene had changed. 

He remembered. That woman had charged the King. Rodrigue intercepted the blow while his ally struck her down. He had been hurt worse before. So why was it so painful?

That woman on the ground, she was the one who had been behind the King. A blade lay on the ground just out of reach as blood pooled on the ground around her.

Why did everything hurt so badly? Rodrigue was having a hard time focusing. The king was speaking to him. Rodrigue responded, though he felt like he was watching the scene from underwater. He knew what he was saying was important, but he couldn’t make out the words.

Rodrigue knew they had won, yet he heard no cheers from the soldiers. Why did Lambert look so sad? Why were there tears staining the King’s cheek? Why did he hurt so badly?

That's not Lambert. 

The thought snapped everything back into place. Lambert had died at Duscurr along with Rodrigue's own son, Glenn. The young man in front of him was his old friend's heir, Dimitri. 

The boy really did look like his father. As Rodrigue lay there, Dimitri clutched his hand. It was different from the way Lambert had held his hand after a victory. Dimitri felt more desperate. 

Rodrigue remembered how happy Dimitri was as a child. The days he spent training with Glenn and playing with Felix. He remembered the innocence that used to rest on Dimitri’s face. That innocence was gone now.

Rodrigue remembered his promise to Lambert. Goddess, he was supposed to make sure Dimitri never lost his way. Yet here he was, consumed in rage and a desire for vengeance. How could Rodrigue do anything now? The wound he had received throbbed, forcing Rodrigue to admit that he had finally run out of time.

In his final moments, Rodrigue prayed to the Goddess that she would guide Dimitri to a brighter future. Then, the world went dark. His final thought was that he would finally be reunited with Lambert.

**Author's Note:**

> special shoutout to Lynn for helping me with some last minute research since I haven't finished AM yet (I'm doing it I promise) and to NightMereBear for being a last minute beta. Y'all the real MVPs!!


End file.
